Switch apps.
Your notes follow.

Keep checklists, commands, and reminders with the Mac apps where you need them. Your notes appear when you return to an app and hide when you move on.

Download on the Mac App Store

 Free to download · Requires macOS 15 or later

The real AnchorNotes library showing notes grouped under Xcode

Pick up where
you left off.

Attach a note to an app

Keep a checklist with Xcode, research with Safari, or meeting notes with your calling app.

Switch apps normally

Move on to another app. Notes attached to the app you leave get out of the way.

The right notes return

Come back to an app and its notes reappear where you left them, ready to help you pick up the work.

Built for your
working day.

Keep notes within reach.

Capture a thought without leaving your app. One shortcut creates a note attached to it, ready when you come back.

A new note. Right where you are.

Float on Top: Keep a reference above your work while its app is in front.
Unattached notes: Keep a general reminder available as you move between apps.
Menu bar access: Open your library from the menu bar, even after closing the main window.

Spread out. Or tuck away.

Notes stay with their app across Spaces and full-screen views. Choose separate arrangements for windowed and full-screen apps.

Freeform

Drag notes to rearrange. AnchorNotes remembers each note’s size and position.

Edge Stack

Move to the right edge to reveal. Move away to hide.

More than a place to type.

Write formatted Markdown directly. Add headings, links, code, and checklists you can tick off as you work.

Paste the whole picture.

Paste screenshots with Command–V. See them inline and double-click to open them in Quick Look.

Your notes. Your controls.

Keep actions close with Toolbar, or use Compact for a quieter note. Choose your mode in Settings → Appearance.

Toolbar

Formatting and note actions beside the active note.

Compact

A small More menu and microphone inside the note.

Find what you saved.

Browse notes grouped by app, or search their titles and content. Your library brings everything together in one place.

A home for every app: Keep multiple notes with each app, with standalone notes in their own collection.
Archive it. Keep it.: Clear finished work from view and restore it later. Archived notes don’t count toward the free limit.
Make it familiar: Choose note colors and light or dark appearance to suit your workspace.

Plain Markdown. No lock-in.

Your notes are readable files on your Mac. Open them in another editor or back up your library with your own tools. No account required, and AnchorNotes doesn’t collect your note content.

About backups

release-checklist.mdMarkdown

# Release checklist

- [x] Test the latest build
- [x] Update the release notes
- [ ] Ship it

A little extra help, when you need it.

Turn spoken thoughts into notes.

Speak, review the live transcript in the main editor, and insert it into your note. Audio is processed on your Mac.

macOS 26 · No Apple Intelligence required

Give your draft another pass.

Shorten, polish, or reorganize a note with your own instructions. Rewriting runs on your Mac.

macOS 26 · Apple Intelligence required

Same app. Different windows.

Using two windows of the same app, even on different screens? Attach different notes to each—keep a checklist beside one window and reference notes beside the other.

Experimental · Session only · Support varies by app

Set up window attachments

Start free.
Go Pro once.

Free

$0Free forever

Start with 5 active notes and every feature. Keep using them for as long as you like.

Up to 5 active notes
Attach notes to Mac apps
Try experimental window attachments
Float notes and choose custom colors
Choose light or dark appearance
On-device rewriting and dictation on macOS 26
Markdown files and interactive checklists
Search and archive

Download for free Free to download on the Mac App Store

Pro

ONE-TIME

$9.99USD · One-time purchase

Need more room? Unlock unlimited active notes with one purchase.

Unlimited active notes
Everything included in Free
One-time purchase
No subscription

Download to upgrade Buy Pro once inside the app

US price shown. Apple sets localized prices by region.

FAQ

Which Macs are supported?

AnchorNotes requires macOS 15 or later. Dictation and rewriting require macOS 26. Rewriting also needs a Mac that supports Apple Intelligence, with Apple Intelligence enabled. Dictation does not require Apple Intelligence.

Is AnchorNotes free?

Yes. Free includes every feature and up to 5 active notes, with no time limit. Pro unlocks unlimited active notes for a one-time purchase of $9.99 USD. There is no subscription. Prices vary by region.

What counts as an active note?

An active note is any note that has not been archived, even when it is hidden because another app is in front. Free includes 5 active notes in total across all apps, including unattached notes. Archive a note to make room; archived notes do not count toward the limit. Restoring one uses an active-note slot again.

How do I create my first note?

With AnchorNotes running, switch to the app you want to attach a note to and press Option–Command–N. Write your note, switch to another app, then return to see it again. To browse your notes, choose Show AnchorNotes from the menu bar icon. You can check or change the shortcut in Settings.

Where are my notes stored?

On your Mac, as plain Markdown files in the AnchorNotes folder. Choose Open Notes Folder from the menu bar icon to find them in Finder. Separate files remember each note’s app, appearance, and position; pasted images are kept in an attachments folder. Back up the whole folder to keep everything together.

Can I back up my notes?

Yes. Quit AnchorNotes, then back up the entire AnchorNotes folder, including hidden files and the attachments folder. This preserves active and archived notes, pasted images, and each note’s saved appearance and position. The Support page explains how to restore a backup.

Does AnchorNotes sync between Macs?

AnchorNotes has no built-in cloud sync or setting to move its library to a cloud folder. Simply moving the folder does not make the app use the new location. Back up your notes with your own tools; any third-party service you use has its own terms and privacy policy.

What can I attach a note to?

Attach a note to a Mac app, or leave it unattached so it stays available as you switch apps. For a specific window, enable experimental window attachments in Settings. Support varies between apps. When the window closes, either app restarts, or you disable the feature, the note returns to the entire app and keeps its content. Notes attach to windows, not individual files or browser tabs.

How does on-device dictation work?

On macOS 26, click the microphone in the note or its toolbar and speak. Choose Finish Dictation to insert your words at the current selection, or press Escape to cancel. In the main editor, you can review the live transcript before inserting it. Speech is processed on your Mac, and AnchorNotes does not store the audio. Dictation does not require Apple Intelligence.

How does on-device rewriting work?

Give AnchorNotes an instruction to shorten, polish, or reorganize a note. Apple’s on-device model handles the rewrite on your Mac. This requires macOS 26 and a Mac with Apple Intelligence enabled.

Do window attachments need Screen Recording access?

Window attachments work without it, using numbered window labels. The optional Show window names action requests Screen Recording access because macOS protects other apps’ window titles with that permission. AnchorNotes uses it to read window names locally; it does not capture your screen.

Notes that follow your focus.

Start with 5 active notes and every feature, free. Need more? Upgrade once.